Things to Do in New York City in December, New York, New York

I’ve been to NYC many times…spring, fall, summer, winter. But despite the sometimes cold temperatures, I love New York City in December. I prefer going toward the beginning of December as it is after the Thanksgiving rush and before Christmas vacation for many. Consequently, I can enjoy the shows, dinner, and Christmas decorations among slightly lighter holiday crowds.

This December of 2021, my friend Tina and I were quite lucky. We spent three full days in New York and completely missed the Omicron spike and resulting shutdowns. Aside from enjoying savory dinners and seeing plenty of musicals, below are some things we did while visiting New York City in December.

Obviously there are many places to stay in New York City. We didn’t pick the best or the worst. We just wanted something centrally located. As a result, we selected the Belvedere Hotel for its location in Midtown. The Belvedere, rated 3 stars, is nothing fancy. While we enjoyed our larger, upgraded room on the 11th floor, it could stand some double paned windows and more insulation to drown out sirens, trash trucks, and dings of the service elevator.

Fortunately, we weren’t in New York to sit in the hotel. Instead, we used it as a convenient base. It is perfect for dining and theater, and it provides easy access to Central Park, the High Line Canal, the tree at Rockefeller Center, and the department store windows at Saks, Macy’s and others. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).